Scripture Verse

At night His song is with me. Psalm 42:8

Introduction

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John Ellerton (1826–1893)

Words: John Ell­er­ton, A Li­tur­gy for Mis­sion­ary Meet­ings 1870.

Music: St. Cle­ment Cle­ment C. Schole­field, writ­ten for this text, and ap­pear­ing in Church Hymns with Tunes, 1874 (🔊 pdf nwc).

Alternate Tunes:

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Clement C. Scholefield (1839–1904)

Queen Vic­tor­ia chose this hymn to be sung at the 60th an­ni­ver­sa­ry of her reign in 1897. It was al­so sung at the ce­re­mo­ny when Bri­tain re­turned con­trol of Hong Kong to Chi­na in 1997.

Lyrics

The day Thou gav­est, Lord, is end­ed,
The dark­ness falls at Thy be­hest;
To Thee our morn­ing hymns as­cend­ed,
Thy praise shall sanc­ti­fy our rest.

We thank Thee that Thy church, un­sleep­ing,
While earth rolls on­ward in­to light,
Through all the world her watch is keep­ing,
And rests not now by day or night.

As o’er each con­ti­nent and is­land
The dawn leads on ano­ther day,
The voice of pray­er is ne­ver si­lent,
Nor dies the strain of praise away.

The sun that bids us rest is wak­ing
Our breth­ren ’neath the west­ern sky,
And hour by hour fresh lips are mak­ing
Thy won­drous do­ings heard on high.

So be it, Lord; Thy throne shall ne­ver,
Like earth’s proud em­pires, pass away:
Thy king­dom stands, and grows for­ev­er,
Till all Thy crea­tures own Thy sway.